Download a Book Club Discussion Guide - Kerwin Swint
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About this book<br />
<strong>Book</strong> <strong>Club</strong> <strong>Discussion</strong> <strong>Guide</strong><br />
The King Whisperers:<br />
Power behind the Throne,<br />
From Rasputin to Rove<br />
by <strong>Kerwin</strong> <strong>Swint</strong><br />
Pages: 336<br />
Format: Hardcover, Nook, iPad<br />
ISBN: 1402772017<br />
Publisher: Union Square Press<br />
As prepared by Novel Publicity, LLC<br />
Some stories are so terrible, so fantastic, so unreal that you just know they had to have<br />
happened.<br />
Take Aggripina the Younger, the devoted mother would stop at nothing to secure her son’s<br />
emperorship or Rome—incest, murder, cunning, whatever it took. Or Kautilya, the BC-era<br />
warlord who knew his most powerful weapon was a beautiful woman and a lovesick enemy.<br />
How about the monster Heinrich Himmler whose desire to build a race-based society of<br />
supermen led to the twentieth century’s most horrifying event, the Holocaust?<br />
These figures were all wise, ambitious, determined. They knew what they wanted and, in<br />
most cases, they knew how to get it. Power was their motivation.<br />
These are not the great villains of history; they are not the mighty rulers of nations. They are<br />
the King Whisperers, a special breed of politician that thrives behind-the-scenes. They are the<br />
power behind the throne, not that which is seated upon it.<br />
Too often their stories have been discussed as they relate to those of the rulers they served;<br />
some have been overlooked almost entirely. The King Whisperers: Power behind the throne<br />
from Rasputin to Rove by Dr. <strong>Kerwin</strong> <strong>Swint</strong> introduces the reader to 47 figures ranging from<br />
biblical times to the modern day.<br />
They are sorted into ten archetypal groups: Machiavellians, Empire Builders, Kingmakers,<br />
Spies, Silver-Tongued Devils, Generals, Rebels, the Truly Evil, Fixers, and Schemers. Each<br />
category is defined for the reader before delving into its explanations of the four to seven<br />
highlighted individuals.<br />
The King Whisperers offers an in-depth look at these great manipulators, sometimes exploring<br />
multiple figures that shaped a single era or movement, sometimes juxtaposing enemies and
highlighting their similar strategies. <strong>Swint</strong> explores his content in such a manner that it caters<br />
to both the historical expert and the ignoramus. He draws intriguing parallels across<br />
archetypal groups and poses questions which the reader may choose to ignore or to<br />
contemplate at length (this is especially true of the chapter on “the truly evil” King<br />
Whisperers).<br />
The author’s careful attention to detail and fluid writing style make this book an intriguing<br />
and informative read. Its well-paced discussion and organized structure allows for the reader<br />
to pick it up at will or to read it straight-through in a single sitting.<br />
The King Whisperers by <strong>Kerwin</strong> <strong>Swint</strong> tells the stories of some of the greatest power players<br />
and schemers in world history, from the ancient world to modern day.<br />
Although they ruled from the shadows, history has not forgotten.<br />
Interview with the author<br />
Q: What inspired you to begin researching and writing The King Whisperers?<br />
A: I've always been interested in political advisors, the behind-the-scenes people we<br />
sometimes think of as evil geniuses - American political consultants for example. I<br />
thought there was a need to tell the stories of the some of the greatest.<br />
Q: If you had to give a Webster definition of “King Whisperer,” what would it be?<br />
A: Someone who either is, or aspires to be, the power behind the throne.<br />
Q: Are you the first to coin the term “King Whisperer?” What made you choose to<br />
classify the figures this way? Were there any other possible terms that you considered<br />
using before landing on “King Whisperer?”<br />
A: I can't say I'm the first to ever use the term, but I'm not aware of it being used in this<br />
way before. My wife's favorite TV program is The Dog Whisperer, and I thought<br />
"well that works in politics too." Another title I considered was "Princes and Pawns."<br />
Q: You chose to chronicle figures from ten distinct archetypes. What made you choose<br />
ten? Are there other categories that could be included?<br />
A: I tried to think of categories of leaders and styles that would fit certain individuals<br />
from history and politics. Some figures in the book could fit into more than one<br />
category, but I'm happy with the way it turned out. And 10 is a nice, round number.<br />
Q: Do you have a favorite figure that is explored in the book? What makes him or her<br />
stand out the most to you?
A: I've long been a student of Machiavelli, he would be bemused to know his impact on<br />
western political culture. I also enjoyed writing about Francis Walsingham, Warwick<br />
the King Maker, and Dick Cheney.<br />
Q: Did you have any difficulty in choosing a single category for each figure? Can some<br />
King Whisperers accurately fit into more than one category?<br />
A: Yes, there were some that were difficult to put in just one category - Zhou Enlai for<br />
example, or Oliver Cromwell.<br />
Q: Do you believe that a certain category of King Whisperers has proven to be more<br />
successful than the others? How can we measure success when it comes to indirect<br />
political power?<br />
A: Success is often measured in relative terms, but most of the figures in the book<br />
achieved much of what they set out to do. The Fixers from Chapter 9 were very<br />
successful, while some of the Schemers from Chapter 10 ultimately fell short.<br />
Q: Were there figures that you wished to include in the book but had to leave out due to<br />
space or other constraints?<br />
A: Yes, I could write two or three volumes.<br />
Q: How much time did it take you to plan, research, and write this book?<br />
A: About a year.<br />
Q: What’s next? Might you write a follow-up book that explores the King Whisperer<br />
further, or do you begin working on a whole new topic?<br />
A: I'm trying to decide now what to write about next. I might focus on an untold story<br />
from history, or cover something more current and topical in today's political climate.<br />
And part of me wants to leap into historical fiction.<br />
<strong>Discussion</strong> questions<br />
1. Are there any characteristics or personality traits that are common in a majority of the<br />
King Whisperers introduced within the book?<br />
2. How has religion been a powerful influence to King Whisperers? Has it been mostly a<br />
positive force or a negative one?<br />
3. What makes the female King Whisperers stand out? How come most of the female<br />
figures listed are from the ancient world? Can you think of any modern day women<br />
that serve in this role?
4. Some historical periods fostered multiple King Whisperers often on opposing sides of<br />
an issue—consider the spread of communism in the early twentieth century, the final<br />
days of Rome, World War II, the Crusades, the Renaissance, even modern day US<br />
politics—did you notice any patterns emerge? Did certain situations lead to the rise of<br />
a specific King Whisperer archetype? Are there any patterns among time periods or<br />
nationalities?<br />
5. Can some of the figures profiled fit into more than one of the ten King Whisperer<br />
archetypes? What, for example, makes Zhou Enlai a rebel instead of a Machiavellian?<br />
Why is Big Jim Farley classified as a Kingmaker rather than a Fixer?<br />
6. What brought some of the figures from the ranks of schemers and empire builders to<br />
the ranks of the truly evil? <strong>Swint</strong> raises many intriguing questions in his description of<br />
this archetype. Does evil exist? Or does the idea of evil depend on whose side on is<br />
on? Is the concept of evil subjective and unequivocal, or is it cast in black and white?<br />
Were the truly evil figures profiled in The King Whisperers mentally ill or just<br />
seriously misguided?<br />
7. The King Whisperers “through a combination of political instinct, personal ambition,<br />
and opportunity have successfully driven political players and systems in a direction<br />
that advanced their own interests.” Why were these players unable to achieve the<br />
ultimate power—was it for these same reasons?<br />
8. Some of the King Whisperers became rulers themselves (Joseph Stalin, for instance).<br />
What made these men and women stand apart from the others? Why are they still<br />
categorized as King Whisperers?<br />
9. Was there a particular figure or archetype that stood out from the rest. What made this<br />
person or these persons different from their peers?<br />
10. Do you believe that the profiled figures would have had more success if they had<br />
utilized strategies detailed in the other King Whisperer archetypes? For example: If<br />
Trotsky had slipped into the role of Kingmaker or General, could he have beaten out<br />
Stalin for the coveted position as Lenin’s right-hand man?<br />
11. How do King Whisperers differ from the kings they serve? Can rulers get by without<br />
at least one person serving in this role?<br />
12. The book ends with an especially poignant quote from H.L. Mencken: “The urge to<br />
save humanity is almost always only a false face for the urge to rule it.” Based on the<br />
examples presented in The King Whisperers, does this statement prove to be true?<br />
A guide to the King Whisperer archetypes<br />
Machiavellians are the ‘political realists’ of history—those who counsel or practice<br />
hard-nosed power politics, along with threats, intimidation, and deception, in order to
ing stability and prosperity to their society. They also believed the success and<br />
security of the state come first; ethics second.<br />
Empire Builders have played decisive roles in building and supporting powerful<br />
institutions of which they were a part. These institutions may take various forms—<br />
government, business, and commercial, or social and religious.<br />
Kingmakers are powerful figures who arise through political or military systems but<br />
do not seek the top leadership positions for themselves, either because they are unable<br />
or unwilling to do so.<br />
Spies are some of the most clever and sometimes devious political masterminds. They<br />
are generally not from the ranks of the elites, and therefore are not rivals for the throne<br />
or candidates for supreme leader. Normally behind-the-scenes players, their<br />
understanding of the flow of information and how to attain it and use it are keys to<br />
their success.<br />
Silver-Tongued Devils are known for the ‘gift of gab’ or a charismatic presence that<br />
enabled them to succeed in politics and public life, whether it was due to great<br />
oratorical skill, the ability to sweet-talk friends and foes, or a display of diplomatic<br />
doublespeak.<br />
Generals have been in a position to exploit their power for personal or political gain.<br />
As Machiavelli said, a prince must always be knowledgeable about military affairs and<br />
strategy.<br />
Rebels led movements of rebellion and either toppled or replaced existing regimes;<br />
there were motivated by ideology, religion, economics and other factors.<br />
The Truly Evil, also dubbed the genocidal lunatics, were monsters, and sometimes<br />
thought to be mentally ill. Although the concept of a pure villainy may be difficult to<br />
define, it is easy to understand. These individuals stood apart from their whispering<br />
brethren.<br />
Fixers are brought in by leaders to perform specific functions; this is a uniquely<br />
American concept and most often includes political consultants and campaign<br />
managers.<br />
Schemers are the “wannabes” of history. They desperately seek to be in a position of<br />
power. Not many of them ever reach the “happily ever after” stage of politics. In fact,<br />
more often than not, they meet a premature, sometimes violent, end to their schemes.